CVE-2012-0795 in Moodle
Summary
by MITRE
Moodle 1.9.x before 1.9.16, 2.0.x before 2.0.7, 2.1.x before 2.1.4, and 2.2.x before 2.2.1 does not validate e-mail address settings, which allows remote authenticated users to have an unspecified impact via a crafted address.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/06/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-0795 affects Moodle learning management systems across multiple versions including 1.9.x before 1.9.16, 2.0.x before 2.0.7, 2.1.x before 2.1.4, and 2.2.x before 2.2.1. This represents a critical security flaw in the email address validation mechanism within the platform's user management functionality. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation of email addresses when users or administrators modify email settings, creating a potential attack vector that could be exploited by remote authenticated users.
The technical flaw manifests in the absence of proper email address validation during the configuration process within Moodle's administrative interfaces. When users with appropriate privileges attempt to modify email addresses associated with accounts or system configurations, the application fails to properly validate the format and legitimacy of these addresses. This validation gap allows attackers to submit malformed or crafted email addresses that could potentially bypass normal security checks and lead to unintended consequences within the system's operational environment. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-20 as "Improper Input Validation" and falls within the broader category of configuration management flaws that can lead to various security implications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data integrity concerns and can potentially enable several attack vectors including email injection attacks, privilege escalation opportunities, and system misconfiguration scenarios. Remote authenticated users who can modify email settings may exploit this weakness to manipulate system behavior, potentially gaining unauthorized access to sensitive information or disrupting normal system operations. The unspecified impact mentioned in the CVE description suggests that the consequences could vary depending on system configuration and implementation details, but typically includes the potential for unauthorized access to email-based authentication systems and possible data exfiltration through manipulated email routing or delivery mechanisms.
Organizations utilizing affected Moodle versions should prioritize immediate patching to address this vulnerability, as the security implications extend to user account management and system integrity. The recommended mitigation strategy involves upgrading to the patched versions of Moodle that include proper email address validation mechanisms. System administrators should also implement additional monitoring of email configuration changes and user account modifications to detect potential exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1548.003 which covers 'Abuse of Cloud Admin APIs' and 'Create or Modify System Process', as the flawed validation could enable attackers to manipulate system configurations through legitimate administrative interfaces. Additional protective measures include implementing network segmentation, enforcing strict access controls for administrative functions, and conducting regular security audits of user account modifications to ensure system integrity and prevent unauthorized privilege escalation.